Telescoping support frame



. D. B. JOHNSTON ETAL 2,909,400

TELESCOPING SUPPORT FRAME Oct. 20, 1959 Filed July 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 S as wk Om ON lll'iii llil' lllrl Oct- 20, 1 D. B. JOHNSTON ETAL 2,909,400

TELESCOPING SUPPORT FRAME Filed July 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 68 2a 30 Q Y 2 70 26 INVENTOIS D. BRUCE JOHNSTON JoHNHITAuTMANN i LAS G.C==R|STY United States PatentlO TELESCOPING SUPPORT FRAME David Bruce Johnston, Stamford, and Peter W. R. Johnson, Wilton, Conn., Nicholas G. Cristy, Pleasantville, N.Y., and John H. Trautmann, Southbury, Conn., assignors to Products for Industry, Stamford, Conn.

Application July '19, 1956, Serial No. 598,801

6 Claims. (Cl. 311-35) This invention relates to abench system and more particularly to a multiplicity of modular components which may be assembled toform a great variety of bench equipment for factories, laboratories, etc.

The problem of efficient use of work benches has confronted industry for many years. Heretofore, atbest an inefiicient make-shift bench arrangement was utilized in the factory or in the alternative, an expensive custom made bench installation. In such arrangement, much valuable space was taken up in the manufacturing area by idle operations which were occupying parts of the production floor. Moreover, the most efficient height and width of the benches changed for various operations. The arrangements were more or less static and the users had to do the best with the various diverse benches on hand. With a view to the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, a novel flexible bench system was de- 7 work bench. The vertical adjustability of the instant vised which enables operations to be quickly rearranged A or replaced and widely difierent products manufactured on the same bench facilities. Each operation, therefore, is set up for ideal efiiciency on its individual work top. Accordingly, the bench frames are extendable and the work tops are exchangeable. For any production run, the appropriate 'work tops are arranged in the bench frame so that materials flow in a straight progressive line involving minimum in-process inventory. Thus, machines and/or materials may be removed from the bench frames while mounted or assembled on removable work tops and stored preferably in suitable racks until further use thereof is required. The flexibility of the present system should be apparent through which supervision, production control and material handling can be greatly simplified, engineering methods can be preserved, efficiency improved, and manufacturing costs reduced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of benches that may be adapted to a great variety of selective industrial and laboratory needs such as in-line, back-to-back and right angle arrangements which may be easily and rapidly changed over as' the need arises.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated bench system which has services, for example power, water and gas built in the bench system, all of said services being accessible from the front of each bench.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel locking means for securing the strut and frame members of the bench in a number of selected The horizontally extending bench frames offers the ad novel bench system is achieved by means of telescoping legs which are securely held in position preferably by a locking ring.

Another feature of the present invention is an accessory foot rest adjustable as to distance from the front of the bench and height from the floor.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Fig. is a perspective view of our novel bench system forming an integrated unit, part of which is broken away for the purpose of clarity, and showing one section in extended position with the work panel removed.

. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective and partially fragmentary view of one of the bench legs, the leg locking means and leg braces and associated parts,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of our invention taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another detail of our invention taken along the lines 44 of Fig. 1,

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are various views of the toggle-action locking clamp according to our invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and especially to Fig. 1 the novel flexible bench system in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of vertically adjustable legs 10 which will be described in more detail hereinafter. Each leg 10 has a planar supporting element 12 which preferably is of a generally rectangular form having a multiplicity of spaced apertures 14 therein. Each leg .10 also has a rotatable base portion 16 which may rest on a floor or be permanently secured thereto. Adapted to rest on the planar support elements 12 are extendable support frames referred to generally by the numeral 18; The frames are constituted of interfitting and telescoping stringers or intermediate sections 20 and corner sections 22, both of which are preferably channel-shaped. It should be noted that the various sections of the frame are slidably movable so that the frames are extended selectively changing the width and length dimensions of each bench component to sat isfy a variety of configuration needs. In Fig. 1 the bench component on the right hand side is shown extended in a depth or width direction. It is also possible to extend the length of the bench by adding on similar segments. The bench component on the left hand side of Fig. l is shown in its normal, retracted position. The interfitting channel sections 20 and 22 are secured together by a locking device shown more clearly in Fig. 3 wherein agen erally inverted U-shaped bracket 24 fits in the elongated opening of the channel-shaped sections facing in a down-.

ward direction. Bracket 24 is provided with an aperture 26 through which passes a bolt 28, the latter being screw connected in tapped aperture 30 of an inverted U-shaped locking member 32. Thus, the head of bolt 28 is seated between the legs of bracket 24 and within-the bounding surfaces of channel sections 20 and 22 thereby substantially eliminating the danger of contact with the protrud;

ing bolt head by the person or clothes of a worker or porting elements 12 and the locking members 32 con- 1 3 tained in the interior of channel sections 20 and 22 by said bolts. The channel sections, therefore, may be locked in a plurality of positions depending upon the shape of the bench desired. Each end of the bench system is provided with end panels or shields 34, only one of which is shown in Fig. l. The rear of the bench system is provided with back portion or panel referred to generally by the numeral 36 having an electric service duct 38 and preferably an enclosure 49 for encasing piping or gas services. The upper part 42 of back portion 36 is removable if it is necessary to install a conveyor belt behind the table. Part 42 is provided with a number of electrical outlets 44 which are convenient for supplying electrical power for machines or tools which may be situated on removable work panel 46. The work top 46 may be made of laminated wood, metal, plastic or any other suitable material and may be of various sizes and shapes depending upon the particular needs. One side of work panel 46 can be inserted under lip 48 of upper part 42 and the panel lowered to rest on planar supporting elements 12.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2 wherein the adjustable leg 10 is shown in greater detail, the leg 10 comprises two telescoping, screw-threaded sections 50 and 52. Sect-ion 52 of smaller diameter is screw-connected to section of larger diameter. Also screw-connected on section 52 is a locking ring 54. In order to adjust and lock adjustable leg 10, section 52 is screwed into or out of section 50 thereby elevating or lowering the vertical height of the leg. When the desired height of the leg is obtained the locking ring 54 is turned on section 52 until the ring abuts against the edge of section 50 thereby securely locking the sections 50 and 52 respectively of leg 10 in the selected position.

The adjustable legs 10 are connected by leg braces referred to generally by the numeral 56. These leg braces are secured to legs 10 preferably by a collar 58. The leg braces 56 are constituted of inteifitting and slidable channel members 6%) and 62.

Fixed to leg braces 56 are adjustable foot rests 64 which also are constituted of channel members 66 and 68. The foot rests 64 may be secured to the leg braces 56 in a multiplicity of selected positions by means of either cross-shaped linking members 70 or T-shaped linking members 72. These linking members secure the channel sections to be affixed by means of the combination of bolts 28 and U-shaped locking members 32, said bolts being adapted to pass through holes 71 in the linking members. It should be noted that each of the foot rests 64 are individually adjustable as to distance from the front of the bench and adjustable as to vertical height from the floor. Also, it is within the scope of the present invention to secure to the side or other suitable portion of each bench component a pocket book or clothing support and an ash tray (not shown) which eliminates the danger of articles thereon being damaged or interfering with the work and tools on each bench component. Our invention also contemplates the provision of a lighting fixture for each bench component if desired (not shown).

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the means for fixing the foot rests 64 to the leg braces 56. This is accomplished by either a cross-shaped linking member 70 or a T-shaped linking member 72 (see Fig. 1). Bolts 28 together with U-shaped locking members 32 form the securement for holding the channel sections together.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 wherein is shown various views of an alternate locking means constituting a toggle action locking clamp for channel sections 20 and 22; It will be noted that Fig. is a section taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 6 while Fig. 7 is a section taken along lines 77 of Fig. 5. The clamp is referred to generally by the numeral 74 and comprises an elongated arm 76 having an offset loop 78, said arm preferably being constituted of spring steel. Arm 76 is provided with two,.oppositely disposed cars 80 which pass through loops 82 of toggle arm 84. Toggle arm 84 has a bottom portion 86 which is wider than the opening 88 of the channel section 22. Thus, the arms 76, being relatively resilient, are squeezed together in order to insert the ears through the opening 88 of the channel section 22. The cars 80 are then seated in the bottom of the flanged portion of channel section 20 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Subsequently, the toggle arm 84 is moved in the direction of the arrow A until the bottom portion 86 of the toggle arm abuts the outer bottom surface of channel section 22 to form a toggle locking clamp which securely fixes channel sections 20 and 22 together.

What we claim is:

l. A work bench including a back frame assembly extending lengthwise of the bench and including spaced sections connected by a stringer having opposite ends that engage the spaced sections and means to secure said sections to the stringer, a plurality of front leg assemblies, each of which includes an upper section extending lengthwise of the bench, and also fore-andaft members connected with the back frame, each of said fore-and-aft members including two undercut channel elements, one of which telescopes into the other and both of which have their open sides in register with one another, means extending through the open sides of the channel elements for holding the telescoping elements of each front leg assembly in adjusted position with respect to one another, a front stringer connecting the upper sections of successive front leg assemblies, the opposite ends of the front stringer engaging the lengthwise extending upper sections of the front leg assemblies, and releasable means holding the forward stringer in assembled relation with said upper sections.

2. The work bench described in claim 1, and in which the means for holding the telescoping elements together include clamping means part of which is a locking member located in the undercut channel sections and extending across the open side of the channel sections and behind the undercut portions thereof.

3. The work bench described in claim 2, and in which the stringers and the portions of the work bench with which the opposite ends of the stringers engage are also undercut channel sections which telescope into one another, and which have clamping means extending into the open side of the channels and behind the undercut portions thereof.

4. A work bench comprising a back frame, a plurality of front legs at locations spaced lengthwise of the work bench, telescoping connections between the front legs and the back frame for adjusting the fore-and-aft width of the frame, each of said connections including two undercut channel elements, one of which telescopes into the other and both of which have their open sides in register with one another, releasable means holding said elements in adjusted positions with respect to one another, a foot rest including a stringer extending lengthwise of the bench between telescoping connections for successive front legs, and adjustable connecting means extending through the open sides of the telescoping connections and connecting the opposite ends of the stringer to said telescoping connections, the adjustable connecting means being movable along the undercut channels of said telescoping connections in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to the bench, said adjustable connecting means being movable along the different elements of the telescoping connections independently of the adjustment of said elements with respect to one another.

5. A work bench including a back frame, front legs at spaced locations lengthwise of the bench, connections between each of the front legs and the back frame, said connections comprising undercut channels, a foot-rest stringer extending lengthwise of the work bench and connected at its opposite ends with the channels from successive front legs, brackets by which the foot-rest stringer is connected to the undercut channels, each bracket including an element extending across the open side of one of the channels, a locking member within the channel and extending behind the undercut portions on the open side of the channel, and releasable clamping means extending from the bracket through the open side of the channel and to the locking member within the channel for holding the bracket and foot-rest stringer in any adjusted position along the connection between the front legs and the back frame.

6. The Work bench described in claim 5, and in which the stringer is also an undercut channel and the bracket on each end of the stringer is connected to the stringer by a locking member Within the stringer and extending behind the undercut portions on the open side of the stringer, and there are releasable clamping means extending from each bracket through the open side of the stringer to the locking member within the stringer.

References Cited in the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,571 Raines Mar. 21, 1905 6 Dickson Feb. 23, 1909 Matthes July 19, 1910 Lehman July 26, 1910 Hyde Nov. 19, 1912 Holter Oct. 10, 1916 Wessinger Apr. 15, 1919 Ralph May 30, 1922 Thomason Dec. 23, 1924 Merrill June 20, 1939 Elinke Feb. 24, 1942 Attwood Apr. 4, 1944 Webb May 2, 1944 Schreiner Aug. 3, 1948 Degener Oct. 6, 1953 Cohen Ian. 17, 1956 Terando Mar. 27, 1956 Remstein June 5, 1956 

